Stranger in Your Own Land
by Da Demon Mystrice
Summary: Keahi lives in the Earth Kingdom. He's pretty normal, except everyone treats him like some kind of outsider. He doesn't understand. Sure he's different, but not THAT different, right? Right?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar in any way, shape or form.

Author's Notes: I was thinking about the society in Avatar and wondered how they always managed to give birth to the right type of benders. Thus, this story came to light.

* * *

As I walk past, they whisper. They always whisper, even when I'm not around. I don't know what makes me so interesting. Besides, if I'm so fascinating, how come no one talks to me?

"There he is," I strain my ears to hear the girls. "I can't believe they let someone like that live here!"

The other girl tsks. "I can't believe he thinks he belongs here. Doesn't he _know_?"

"Of course not!" The first girl shakes her head. "Now shut up before he hears you!"

I smile grimly. Of _course _I can't already hear them. I'm just an outsider, who's deaf as well as stupid. "Actually, keep on going!" I call over to them. "I'm interested in what you have to say, Ling. Please, continue!" I grin widely at the two, who glare back at me.

"Who do you think you are, Keahi?" Ling demands. "You can't just barge into private conversations!"

"Of course not," I scowl. "Conversations that are _all about me _are absolutely none of my business. Please excuse my interruption." I spin on my heel and break into a run, wishing they'd just leave me alone.

Sometimes, I think things would be easier for me if I could Earthbend. At least then people would know for sure that I belong here in Earth Kingdom. But everywhere I go, someone's always whispering or pointing at me. Once, a little girl tripped and fell right in front of me. When I went to help her up, her parents started yelling at me to leave their precious girl alone. Then they picked her up themselves, quietly telling her to stay away from that Keahi, because he's bad news, dear, bad news.

I don't see what I've done that's so bad. I've never hurt anyone in my life, and certainly never done anything against the law. Yet people just treat me like some kind of criminal. It's been that way the entire fourteen years of my life.

I realize where I am and stop running. I'm standing on the outskirts of town, in the foothills. I can see the mountains rise up in spikes, dark against the orange sky. I suppose I should get back home now. But…I've never really been this far out. It wouldn't hurt to look around for a bit, would it?

I never knew there was a forest by our town. That's strange, considering that we are in Earth Kingdom, and it's to be expected. Forests, that is. The thought never crossed my mind, I guess.

I wonder what's in the forest? I still have a _little _time. I start towards it, not quite sure what I was hoping for, but eager to find something. That's when I heard it:

"What do you think you're doing?"

I look up. "Exploring the forest. What does it look like?"

"Ha! A likely story!" A boy about my age steps out of the shadows and glares at me. He's tall, and has brown hair that's cropped close to his head. His eyes are cold and green. He keeps glaring at me like I've killed his sister or something. "It's bad enough that they let you live in the village, but _now _you're allowed to wander around in the forest? You could destroy the whole place!"

"What are you talking about?" I demand. "I've never done anything bad in my life! Why do you people keep assuming I'm going to kill you all?" I glare back at him. This stupid little prick has no right to make these assumptions!

The boy laughed. "Stop acting innocent, Keahi!"

"God! Does _everyone _know my name around here?" I throw my hands up in the air. "Could you at least give me enough respect to tell me _yours?_"

"Of course," he sniffs. "I'm Zarek. If you haven't already heard of me, you must be deaf."

I remember him now. "You're that 'Earthbending prodigy', right?" I make quotation marks with my hands.

"You bet I am!" Zarek grins. "And I thought it was about time I got a little practice in for my upcoming test. Wouldn't you agree?"

"What are you implying…?" I ask uneasily.

"I need a target for my bending, don't I?" Zarek chuckles. "Something for the rocks to hit, you know."

I catch on. "No way! I'm not going to be a target!" I protest.

"Ah, but you are," Zarek shakes his head. "You don't really have a choice on the subject."

"Of course I do!" I'm getting nervous, now. "I _always _have a choice!"

"Then why don't you fight me?" Zarek taunts.

I see now. He's trying to provoke me into hurting him, so he can get me in trouble. "No."

"Onto to target practice, I guess," Zarek shrugs, and bends a rock in my direction.

I try to jump out of the way, but suddenly another rock is formed behind me and hardens around my legs. I can barely move. I wince, as the first rock smacks my shoulder.

"Sorry, a good target doesn't run away," Zarek smirks. More rocks come flying through the air, pelting me in every possible area of my body.

"What about moving targets?" I ask through gritted teeth.

"Hmm…" Zarek taps his chin. "I guess you're right." He thrusts both his hands forward and flings them up.

The rock that's trapping me flies up, too. As I fall, Zarek bends more rocks my way. After the all hit me, I land on the ground with a crunch. It hurts so badly. Stupid stuck-up kid. Why can't he just leave me alone?

"This _is _good practice!" Zarek claps his hands, causing the rock around my legs to tighten. "I really appreciate all this help, Keahi."

"_Please stop_," I growl, glaring at him.

"Awww, are you gonna cry?" Zarek mocks. Ouch. He just hit me with a rock where I certainly _don't_ want to be hit.

"Who knows?" I manage through the pain. "If you keep doing this, I might very well start."

"Poor baby," Zarek shakes his head. "You'd think that with a background like yours, you'd be tougher."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I burst out, fuming. "I wasn't brought up any differently than you were!"

"I meant your heritage, stupid."

"I was born and raised in Earth Kingdom!" I yell. "My parents are from Earth Kingdom, _their _parents are from Earth Kingdom and _their _parents are from Earth Kingdom! My father is a renowned Earthbender and my mother a well known poet. _How in the world can you expect me to be some person who chooses muscle over mind_????"

Zarek is seriously laughing right now. "I can't believe you expect me to believe your little innocent act! I know exactly what you are, so there's no use in trying to hide it!"

"Oh?" I ask. "What am I, then?" Maybe I can see what's going on in his demented little head.

Zarek gives me a strange look like I'm the stupidest person he's ever met. "You're a Firebender!"

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Dun dun dunnnnn SUSPENSE! Review!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Avatar is definitely not mine

Author's Notes: I guess I probably should've gotten this up a little sooner, eh? Sorry. Honestly, I had like half of this done and just sitting there, gathering dust in my folder...

* * *

"Wh-what?!" I stare at Zarek. Me? A _Firebender_? He's got to be nuts!

"Oh right, like you didn't know," Zarek rolls his eyes, idly bending a rock onto my head.

"Yeah, I didn't," I tell him, wishing he'd go away. "Who told you _that_?"

"Are you kidding me?" Zarek raises his eyebrows. "Everyone knows that you're a Firebender!"

"Everyone…right…" I shake my head, not believing him. "Why don't you prove it?"

"You're the only one who can prove that, Keahi," Zarek points out. "But there's no real way for you to _disprove _it, so you should just drop the act."

"This _isn't _an act!" I grind my teeth, my hands balling into fists.

"Oh, are you going to fight me now?" Zarek asks. "Are you going to show me a little fire power? Go for it. Just be mindful that we _are _surrounded by trees."

I hate this kid. "I'm _not _a Firebender!"

"Didn't I tell you to stop playing dumb?" Zarek snarls and thrusts his hands forward. The rock around my legs careens backward and smashes into a tree.

My head snaps back from the impact, and hits the tree with a crunching sound. I can feel something hot and sticky trickle down the back of my neck. Great, now I'm bleeding.

"Can't you just knock me out and leave me alone?" I moan, cringing with pain.

"I suppose I _could_…" Zarek bends another rock in my direction. It hits my nose. Now I've got blood leaking out from both sides of my head. Great, just great.

"Then just do it already!" Really, can't this guy just finish me off now?

"Fine, but remember that you asked for it," Zarek sneers. "And as far as the rest of the village knows, I was in the forest minding my own business, when you came out of no where and threatened me. I merely knocked you out for my own protection. Got it?"

"No!" I sputter. "That's not even plausible! You don't ever knock someone out if all they do is _threaten _you!"

"Ooh, you're right," Zarek realizes. "I should say that you attacked me, but I deflected it."

My hands are feeling hot. Why are my hands feeling hot?

"Okay? Okay." Zarek has this crazed grin on his face. All I can see is this monster boulder coming at me. It hits me it the face.

My hands feel like they're burning. Is he laughing at me? I can't…quite…tell…

--

I blink, trying to get my vision to focus. Ugh…what happened? All I can see is the sun coming in through the tops of the trees. Why does it have to be so damn bright?

I sit up, trying to remember. I see pebbles and pieces of rock everywhere. I also smell blood. Oh, right. It's _my _blood.

I remember now. That jerk, Zarek. What was he _on_? How in all hells could I be a Firebender? My father's an Earthbender for Pete's sake!

But…my hands. They felt so hot before. I look at them. I don't see any burn marks or anything. I can't possibly be a Firebender…right?

I get up slowly, hoping I don't pass out again because of blood loss. I trudge out of the forest and make my way back home. Everyone probably thinks that I attacked Zarek by now, but I really don't care. I just want to lie down, frankly.

Everyone I pass is giving me evil looks. Whatever, it's not really that much different than every other day.

I finally get to my house and lurch inside. "Mom!" I call, praying desperately that she's home.

"I'm in the kitchen, Keahi!" She calls back. Well, if she's heard from Zarek, she doesn't seem to be angry with me.

I go into the kitchen to see her sitting next to the fire, completely ignoring the pot of soup that's boiling over. She's writing something down. It's probably some of her poetry.

She looks up and gasps. "Keahi, what happened?!"

"I got the crap beaten out of me," I shrug. "I'm also bleeding from the back of my head, if you're interested."

Mom stands up and shakes her head. "Come on, I'll dress your wounds."

"Thanks," I smile weakly and sit down. I glance down at what she was writing: _Though the way becomes long and hard, to give up is a fool's action. _Mom's poetry was always great. But it makes me think. I pretty much gave up when the fight was getting rough. Dammit.

"Now," Mom comes back with some ointments and bandages, "tell me what happened. This can't have happened by accident."

"Take your best guess, Mom," I sigh. "Everyone hates me."

"Come on, you know that's not true," Mom shakes her head as she smears ointments on my injuries.

"Fine, everyone _in this village _hates me," I correct myself.

"Keahi, don't be silly!" Mom makes a 'pft' noise.

"Mom, do you ever leave the house?" I try not to sound too sarcastic. "Everywhere I go, people give me dirty looks or yell at me. Some random idiot beat me up just for walking in a forest on the outskirts of town. Just for walking in a _forest_, Mom!"

Mom doesn't say anything, just gently takes hold of my head and turns it, inspecting the back. I can hear her sigh as she washes the excess blood from my hair before dabbing some ointment on the wound. She ties a bandage around it and wipes the blood off of my face. At least my nose has stopped bleeding.

After I'm all cleaned up and Mom's in the middle of putting her healing stuff away, I swallow the lump in my throat and ask: "Mom…am I a Firebender?"

Mom drops her ointment, the jar shattering as it hits the floor. She turns to look at me, her eyes wide with shock. "Who told you?!"

"So I _am_?" I ask with disbelief.

Mom sinks down onto a futon, burying her face in her hands. "Keahi, I am so, _so _sorry."

"How could this happen?" I feel like I've gone into shock. "Tell me, Mom, _how_?"

Mom looks up at me, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I don't know, sweetheart…I just don't know…"

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Every review you give will go to support the "Make Keahi feel better" fund. It won't help medically, but his morale will increase, don't you think?


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